“Dora would like to marry on the same day as did Duncan and Lady Elsbeth. We all know how Duncan considers it a sacred day, and he has approved his daughter’s choice. The day will honor Lady Elsbeth and Theodora together.”
“Duncan will be very emotional on that day,” Navan observed.
“But that fact shan’t keep you from assisting me, will it?” Alexander pressed.
“I will stand with you,” Beaufort agreed.
“Great. Now tell me more of what happened at Honfleur’s house after I was shot,” Alexander begged. “Duncan and the others have been uncharacteristically closed-mouthed.”
“Such is likely because of something I discovered, purely by accident, I might add, though I doubt they wish to keep the information from you. However, you obviously hold the reputation of possessing a certain impulsiveness,” Beaufort confided, “and this concerns the treatment of Lady Annalise under Honfleur’s roof.”
“Please say Honfleur did not touch her,” Alexander begged.
“Not as you fear, but he was excessively cruel in the way he berated her. You have seen the type before, where the dominant person in the relationship labels the weaker one’s thoughts as imagined or insignificant or questions the other person’s memory. He would deny making promises to her and trivialize her feelings as being too sensitive, when they were normal. Lady Annalise confessed much of this on those evenings before Honfleur returned. What was worse, he encouraged his housekeeper and his daughter to do the same. Mrs. Sable, with whom Honfleur was obviously having a relationship, treated Lady Annalise as some sort of scullery maid.”
Alexander said, “I am aware of much of what occurred in that manner. Annalise has confessed much of it.”
“I am assured your sister did not share everything that I have confided to Duncan, for I did not discuss it with her,” Beaufort said in solemn tones, and Alexander motioned his friend to continue. “I went searching for Mrs. Sable at the woman’s supposed rooms at a boarding house. The others were arrested, but she and Honfleur’s coachman had not been. Somehow both had escaped Liverpool’s men. Imagine my surprise when the landlady said she had no tenant by the name of ‘Sable,’ but she had a ‘Mrs. Slater,’ who might be the same person, though my description of the woman did not quite fit Mrs. Slater.”
“You said the housekeeper wore a great deal of cream and powders,” Alexander observed.
“True, but there is something about this situation that does not sit well with me. My intuition says there is more to this deception than we first thought. We should learn how long Mrs. Sable has been a part of Honfleur’s life. I am of the persuasion they had met previously to her being hired on to oversee his house.”
“Are you prepared?”Beaufort asked. “The rector says it is time you took your place at the front of the church.”
Along with Annalise, Alexander had returned to his London home a sennight earlier. He could simply have stayed at Duncan Place until the wedding, but he knew he and Theodora had come close to anticipating their vows upon two occasions, and he would not have her without the benefit of marriage.
He did not want that for his new wife, so now that he was mobile, he had no reason to remain at Duncan Place. Moreover, he had reasoned that Annalise required a home of her own, though she had agreed to Theodora’s request that his sister would stay with Duncan as he and Dora required more privacy. In a few weeks, they would all three travel to Derbyshire together.
“It is quite impressive,” his sister had said in awe as his coach pulled to the curbstone before his London home. “Lady Emma showed me all the houses of her husband’s brothers, including yours. She even introduced me to Lord Orson’s staff.”
“I am pleased you have found a new friend,” he said as he set her down before the house. His footmen streamed from the house to claim his luggage and her new gowns, all provided by Madame Emmeline. “I have already employed a ladies’ maid foryou, but if she does not suit you, please inform me at once. No more of making do.”
Lionel strolled around the corner of the house, his hands in his pocket. “’Bout time you’ve brought our Annalise home, me lord,” he said with a toothy grin and a large smile.
“Lionel!” Annalise squealed and presented Alexander’s friend a hug.
“Shouldn’t be embracing the help,” Lionel said, but Alexander noted how his friend closed his eyes and savored the moment.
“I am the daughter and sister of an earl,” Annalise said with a large smile. “I should be permitted some discretionary choices.”
When she released him, Lionel bowed to reestablish the lines of society. “Just wished to greet you both properly and all.” To Annalise, he said, “Expect to be spoiled. Even so, don’t permit Marksman to control you. His lordship wishes for your happiness, but you might be required to remind him you’ve a mind of your own. Set your own way, but assure him you’ll never be too far away again.”
She looked upon Alexander. “I shall never purposely bring harm to his door.”
Alexander cleared his throat to push away the emotion rushing to it. The butler was bowing before him. “Welcome home, my lord. Your presence has brought great joy to the house.”
“This is Mr. Glenstorm, my lady. Glenstorm, this is my sister, Lady Annalise Dutton. This is a grand day, Glenstorm, one for which I have prayed for more years than I care to count.”
“As have we all, my lady.” The servant offered Annalise his arm. “I have taken the liberty to have a small meal prepared for you and his lordship. Afterwards, I would be honored to provide you a tour of the house and introduce you to the staff.”
“I would enjoy that very much, would you not also, my lord? We can recover some of the closeness we earned while sitting together at Amgen House. Talking over our meals easily became one of my favorite parts of being claimed as your sister. Before your appearance, I had become accustomed to having my opinions set aside.”
Those words had struck Alexander greatly, and he had made a silent promise not only to assist Annalise’s entrance into society, but to build her confidence. “I feel the same,” he admitted.
He motioned for Mr. Glenstorm to lead the way into the house, where they dispensed with her bonnet and gloves and his hat and cane. Glenstorm then said, “The morning room is this way, my lady,” and, again, offered his arm. Alexander followed and motioned for his butler to place her on his left side. The right would be Theodora’s domain once they were married. When the servant stepped away, Alexander leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I am pleased to view you in the Dutton household.”
That had been a week prior. Today, Alexander glanced to the rear of the church when the audience stirred and watched for Theodora to appear on Duncan’s arm. Before he had kissed her one final time last evening, she had surprised him by saying, “I pray you finally realize I am not afraid to love you.”
